


The Real Deal

by BeastOfTheSea



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-17
Updated: 2012-09-17
Packaged: 2017-11-14 10:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/514104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeastOfTheSea/pseuds/BeastOfTheSea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the war, Harry relaxes in his new life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Real Deal

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter. In canon, that’s Ginny’s job.

 

Running from mythical beasts down fire-filled tunnels, flying like a horde of maddened dragons was after him, and hexing and casting for all he was worth –

 

Really, Harry had thought once that the _most_ adventurous years of his life would be spent taking down Voldemort. He’d been out of his mind.

 

“Now, Harry, didn’t you tell me after Voldemort was gone that you worried your life wouldn’t be exciting anymore?” Luna asked in a happy voice, unclasping her thoroughly-charred cloak.

 

Yes, he remembered: sitting in a corner at one of the post-war celebrations, having somehow escaped the crowd (a somehow that involved quite a bit of use of his Invisibility Cloak), and staring with unfocused eyes at the wall, wishing that Kingsley and everyone else would just leave him alone and let him get his head on straight. Luna had sat down next to him, as friendly and undemanding as ever, and he had found himself unloading the contents of his mind upon her, and finally laughing hysterically and resting his elbows on the table, his hair clutched in his hands. “And you know what the worst part is about it?” he’d asked. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do, now that this is all over. My life’s over. I thought I was going to be an Auror, but honestly – I’ve had enough fighting Dark wizards for a lifetime. I’m supposed to say that I just want some peace and quiet, aren’t I? But compared to what I’ve gone through – _anything’s_ going to be peace and quiet. I… I honestly think I’ll die of boredom within a year.” He’d giggled – actually _giggled_ – and wondered if he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown, but Luna had reached over and patted him on the shoulder.

 

“I’m sure everything will be all right, Harry,” she’d said serenely. “Do you want to go on a trip with Daddy and me for the rest of this summer?”

 

Now, a few years later, he’d never quite come back from that trip; returning to Ottery St. Catchpole seemed more like taking a brief break from the endless excursion, the point being only to recharge enough so that they could whirl forth again. He was having the time of his life.

 

“D’you know,” he said meditatively, staring out the window of the pub where they were staying, “this is what I thought I was getting into when I came to the Wizarding world. A world full of adventure, excitement, and magic – a crazy world, full of bizarre creatures and strange but fascinating new rules – not one in which the bloody Dursleys were ruling the world in spirit, with their line being “We’re Purebloods” rather than “We’re decent, _normal_ folk” now, and where Voldemort kept trying to kill me, and it was all really no better or wilder than the Muggle world when you got down to it.” He pulled off his pointed hat and shook out his hair. “I didn’t catch on for years,” he added, returning to staring out the window. “I don’t think I’ll ever catch on this time.”

 

“Why would you?” Luna asked. “There’s nothing to catch onto.”

 

Harry smiled. “That’s what I’m saying,” he said, and turned and, seizing her to him, kissed her.

 

She blinked as they separated. “Oh,” she said after a moment, her eyes dreamier than usual. Her cheeks showed a bit more color, he thought, though that could have been just his imagination; it was cold outside, and her cheeks had been rosy enough as it was. “I see.”

 

“Yeah,” said Harry, never much one for great lines; he was smiling anyway. “I hoped you would.”


End file.
